What We're Reading

Hello Material Supporters,

Here is what we’re reading this week:

Editor in Chief Benjamin Wittes is reading the Justice Department’s inspector general report on the FISA process.

Executive Editor Natalie Orpett re-read "After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency" in advance of her conversation with authors and Lawfare contributors Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith, and can't recommend it enough, especially for those looking for a pragmatic way forward. She also did a self-directed refresher course on Abu Zubaydah after his case—or, rather, one of his cases—was heard by the Supreme Court.  This ProPublica article is a good explainer.

Publisher and Chief Operating Officer David Priess has enjoyed “Damascus Station,” the debut novel from former CIA officer David McCloskey. It’s a remarkably realistic and entertaining read—highly recommended even for those generally disinclined toward fiction.

Managing Editor Jacob Schulz is reading a wild story about diplomatic gift exchanges during the Trump administration. He also recommends an excellent piece in the Atlantic from Quinta Jurecic about Americans’ tendency in recent years to lionize civil servants.

Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson is reading “Pragmatism as Anti-Authoritatianism,” a recently released collection of never before published (in English) lectures by philosopher Richard Rorty, who died in 2007, that anticipates many of the questions of truth, pluralism and good faith underlying our current political moment.

Senior Editor Alan Rozenshtein is reading this piece from the New Yorker about “The Ship That Became a Bomb.”

Senior Editor Quinta Jurecic recommends this paper by Daphne Keller, director of the Program on Platform Regulation at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, on the legal complexities of regulating amplification of content on social media platforms. Frances Haugen's whistleblower testimony about her time at Facebook has sparked discussion around the feasibility and desirability of regulating the tools Facebook uses to promote some material and downrank other content, but Keller's paper is a reminder that regulating amplification would likely raise First Amendment questions.

Fellow in Cybersecurity Law Alvaro Marañon is reading an Intercept article on the extensive network of "right-wing healthcare providers" that are making millions in consultations and other services related to coronavirus skepticism and resistance to the vaccines.

Associate Editor Rohini Kurup is reading an article in The Atlantic titled “What We Lost When Gannett Came to Town,” which looks at how the decline of local news deteriorates community ties.

Associate Editor Bryce Klehm is reading a New Yorker article on efforts to reform the bail system in New York City.

Lawfare’s Quote of the Week: From “The Jan. 6 Investigation Is Ramping Up. Will It Matter?” by Quinta Jurecic and Molly Reynolds:  “The Jan. 6 committee’s work should be the beginning, not the end, of the legislature’s response to the insurrection. Congress needs to consider what to do about issues laid bare by Jan. 6, from the small—like nonreinforced windows at the Capitol that were easily smashed by rioters—to the large, such as racially motivated domestic violent extremism. A focused, effective committee investigation is necessary, but not sufficient.”

From the Lawfare Vault: May 19, 2017, “With the Presidency in Turmoil, Congress Will Have to Guide U.S. Taiwan Policy” by Julian Ku

Thank you!